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Not if... when. Dropped within a week. :(

11K views 33 replies 23 participants last post by  Wesley Smith 
#1 ·
I've heard over and over about it's not an if about dropping your bike, but rather when. I was NOT one of those guys that said it won't happen to me, but I was hopeful.

So, I picked up my new bike last Saturday - been riding every day and feeling confident in the handling but know I needed some practice on stopping smoothly. Well, today I left work and about a km away, noticed a strap loose on my jacket. Rather than trying to fix it while riding I decided to pull over. They had just finished some road work on this stretch and there was a paved shoulder to pull off on. I didn't realize though, that the shoulder had quite a slope to it (wasn't there before the roadwork). I stopped and in that same motion the bike leaned to the right - I couldn't stop it and over it went and threw me clear. A quick roll and I was up on my feet again, but the bike was at about a 10 degree angle past horizontal on the slope... shiny side down. :( I should have seen that - but I was stopped and over before I knew it.

A guy in a truck coming the other way saw me go over and stopped, along with a guy on a bicycle - both big dudes and both offered to help. It took the three of us to right the bike. The right mirror was moved out of position and I scraped the brake lever and brake fluid reservoir. There's a dent in the tank - right by the Vulcan logo with a couple of minor paint chips, but then a bigger chip on top where I believe the handlebar hit it on impact. AND the handlebar is not aligned now.

I didn't see anything leaking or anything broken so started it up - no problem. Checked it over again, dusted myself off and rode home. Friday afternoon before a long weekend - nothing is going to be open again until Tuesday. I feel ok to drive it to a local shop for a check over but don't want to go too far on it before it's checked out by someone who knows more about it than I do.

I feel like an idiot for letting this happen. I knew better but... lesson learned the hard way and it'll cost me too. Just hope it isn't too much. :(
 

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#3 ·
I don't believe it needs replacing. The dent isn't very deep.. more like a depression. I just don't want the chips to get worse. I believe the ones on the side are only in the final coat - not very deep, but the one on top will need some work.
 
#4 ·
Ouch. Didn't see this thread till after I posted on your thread about carrying a load. This answers my question about whether you've already got the bike. I dropped my bike backing it out of the garage a few weeks after I bought it. Steep slope and let the bike lean too much on the downhill side. Fortunately I had a friend with me that helped me get it back up. Then a month or two later, riding with same friend I pulled into a parking lot, hit the front brake with a slight turn and went down, in slow motion. All I got was a scratch on my saddle bag cause it popped open and a minor scratch on the crash bars. I hope you get yours fixed up soon without too much expense.
 
#12 ·
...I dropped my bike backing it out of the garage a few weeks after I bought it. Steep slope and let the bike lean too much on the downhill side...
Man, can I ever relate! I'm new to the bike; I'm still "learning" her and getting used to handling her in many, many situations. But each time I take her out of the garage, I fear that slope to the street. As time goes on, and as I practice practice practice, the fear might subside. But I'm a firm believer in not if but when...right now I'm just hoping having dropped my first-ever bike 47 years ago and my first-ever Vespa 7 years ago will keep me from dropping my Vulcan...at least for a while!

Victor
 
#5 ·
I'm taking it in to a local guy on Tuesday to evaluate the damage. Fingers-crossed that it won't be much. I'm missing some beautiful riding weather, but on the other hand, all the idiots are up for the long weekend and roads are crowded.


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#6 ·
I don't like to do anything on holiday weekends. Weather here is still a bit hot but better than it has been. But the bike and boat will stay in the garage till all the weekenders are gone. Let us know what the local shop tells you. Good luck.
 
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#7 ·
Well my handlebar was bent. Handlebar, grip, check and tighten cables, etc., and installation was under $300. The cosmetics are going to cost a little more - maybe $4-500 when all said and done. Expensive lesson, but lesson learned. But.. since then, I've added another 2500kms on the dial so enjoying it to the fullest.
 
#9 ·
Good job pulling over to fix the loose stuff, sorry about the bad location
On the other side of the coin, your baby got scratched bad:crying2::mad:, ......but You didn't... Thats a good thing:cool::cool:.
Now you can see how fast sh-happens with out the full lesson
 
#8 ·
It can happen to anybody. Last summer, to avoid a signal light with a long line of motor homes and 5th wheels (lots of tourists in North Idaho in the summer) I turned onto a side road and was going to go around it. Just as I was making the second turn, a right-hand turn, I saw the sand covering the intersection. You couldn't see it until right on top of it. Fortunately, I was already going slow, and just as I was almost stopped, the front wheel went out from under the bike and if simply fell over. I bonked my head off the pavement (thank you, helmet!), hit my knee and jammed my elbow, which in turn tore a bunch of tiny muscles on my vertebrae. The bike suffered only a bent mirror shaft and a small scuff on one of the highway pegs attached to the crash bar and one on a saddle bag. Others saw it and helped me stand the bike back up, and couldn't believe it wasn't worse after they saw the sand, which looked just like the grey pavement. The bike ran fine after.

This happened after I have been riding most of my life and have put 45,000 miles on this particular bike. My old riding buddy, whenever anyone said "I've never put a bike down", used to say
"YET- which stands for 'You're Eligible Too.' "
 
#10 · (Edited)
Yeah I know the feeling - I dropped mine 2 weeks after I got it (april 2016)... broke off the right mirror.. lol I didn't dent my tank but its scratched.. I call it a rider war wound... growing pains. It's the reason I put the engine guard on... which ironically came in handy as I clipped a curb with the damn guard (right side) and fell over on the left side... engine guard saved my bike but is bent in..... New engine guard is coming tomorrow ($220) and my guy is going to install it for me tomorrow (thank God he's a mechanic and builds bikes). I'll have my regular mechanic give her a good look after the holidays when I get my oil changed :)
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
Try not to take it too hard.. I beat myself up for weeks after I dropped my bike the first time... I've gone 6 months before the drop on Sunday. So I'm letting it roll off... I'm pissed of course about having to drop the money on the new engine guard (not to mention cracked my iPhone so that was $150 yesterday for new iphone glass and case lol)... but well crap happens and I'm going to be constantly learning... I just want my new guards on as I plan to do my first overnight trip to Bradenton, FL to visit family at christmas.....stay safe ya'll :)
 
#14 ·
I dropped my 1500 classic a couple weeks after I got it,at the time,I just had a stent put in and was a little weak and just wanted to get out of the house from sitting for 2-3 weeks.anyways,I was up in the mountains and figured it was about time to turn around and head back home,did a U turn in the highway,got off in the sand and just washed the front end.Slid a little bit and down it went,landed in the sand(deep) and didn't hurt anything.Was a bear getting it back on its feet but just backed up to it and lifted straight up.Had to wait quite a while to get my breath back but was back on the road.Kicked myself for not paying more attention to conditions but probably shouldn't of been out riding in the first place.
 
#16 ·
At least from what Im reading all these drops have been at slow/no speed. Thats good to hear, although having to pay for the fixes is a bummer, not to mention the bruise in you ego.
First time I got on my bike to takeoff from my driveway I hit the throttle way too hard accidentally (had wrists bent and shouldnt have) and instantly dropped it. Talk about embarrassing
 
#18 ·
Mine was more embarrassing than anything else. A group of us were taking a weekday ride a couple of weeks ago. Just a few days after me picking up a new 900. We pulled in so they could gas up. I didn't need it so pulled off to the side. "Wasn't Paying Attention". :( Went to get off and as I leaned over realized too late the stand wasn't down. It was a really slow fall. Thankfully, because of the wide handlebars on the bike they kept it off the concrete. Little bit of scuffing on the end of the grip. And, the tip of the clutch lever broken off. My highway bar was in the mail, so not on it yet. long story short, not a single scratch. Most damage was a little circle of road rash on my knee where my pants rubbed. As a reminder, I drilled a hole in the piece of clutch lever and put it on my keychain. It's already replaced, and, the highway bar is in place now. However, if we're all going to do it, I hope I already have mine done.
 
#21 ·
I dropped mine about a year into having it. Making a slow right turn into a fairly wide alley that led to a CVS parking lot. A teenage girl was coming blazing down right in the middle of the alley. I panicked and hit the front brakes and down I laid her on right side. Her mother was in passenger seat and looked at me funny. I looked back at her and said that I thought we drove on the right side of the road here in the USA; not the middle. The young girl was embarrassed and offered to help me right the bike back up. No damage to bike (thankfully) and a good value lesson for the young driver
 
#22 ·
I almost dropped my bike the first day I got it! I stalled on a small slope and it almost tipped over. I muscled it back up before it hit the ground. after that I ordered an engine guard. Still learning to maneuver her on really low speeds but its been fun riding. I'm also in south florida!
 
#23 ·
Bought my new Vulcan in 2013 in Ogden UT. We were working out West and had trailered our bikes with our heavy equipment so we could enjoy riding the mtns etc in our spare time. One morning before leaving for a 3 day wknd thru Yellowstone, we stopped by the dealership so one of the guys could buy an accessory for his bike. I ended up buying a new Vulcan in about an hour there & its first trip was to Yellowstone (parked my old Vulcan @ dealership til we got back then rode it home next wknd (over 1600 miles 1,093 of it second day!!)

Anyway, new Vulcan. Loaded it on the back of our Dodge flatbed with sideboxes and drove home about 2 months later. Had ridden it all over the west, and drove 1600 miles straight to be home for Thanksgiving. Got to friends house on Tues morning @ 730, his wife was leaving to take kids to school, he said "pull into the edge of the yard and let her out". I did. Hit a huge hole in the slope of his yard, handlebar strap on uphill side broke from severe jolt and over she went. Right into the passenger side toolbox!! I was freaking out. Turned out it missed everything except the right fork cover (a thin stainless/chrome decorative piece as far as I can tell?) pretty nasty dent in that but zero other damage.

Moral to that story? Be paranoid about strappage when hauling your bike. It rode hundreds of miles with no problem but a strap was too weak for that kind of jolt.
 
#24 ·
Usually i drop my bike once per week :laugh2: And it always happens when i do slow cornering. I hate curbed driveways! But thanks God - i didn't break or scratch anything. Anyway i've ordered engine guards on Amazon and installed it recently by myself. Hope it prevents any damage if i drop again.
 
#25 ·
Ahhh... after 2 months of being careful I accidentally dropped her today. Thank god for the crash bars, only a spec scratched on the bottom of the crash bar and it seems the footpeg mounting bracket touched the concrete as well since I found some residue on it. I was trying to take a left turn from park but my handlebars were not straight and down she went...
 
#27 ·
This was all this summer after getting my bike and into riding again. The first time it wasn't a drop.....It fell ver on it' stand. I pulled it out of the garage onto my gravel/dirt driveway. I kept the kick stand down while i rode/walked her out of the garage.The kick stand must have dragged and came back a little.I leaned the bike on it's kick stand, got off and walked away. I got about 10 feet and then I heard it, CRASH!!!Bike is over on its side. The engine guard and saddle bags took the brunt of it, broke a lower wind deflector but not a scratch on the bike :) Phew!!

This time I did exactly like the original poster did. I pulled off the road onto a sloped pull off. I had stopped, then decided I wanted to turn my bike around. If I'm going to stop to get a scenic pic with my bike in it, the pipes have to be showing.....lol. As soon as I turned my bars and front tire towards the slope the bike went right over. I had her all loaded with camping gear so there was extra weight on the bike. I can't believe I didnt let her hit the ground. I muscled her back up in front a van with 2 ppl sitting eating lunch. He started to scramble out to help but before he got over I had her upright......PHEW!! Lessons learned with kick stands, check it twice
and dont move the bike with it down. Don't stop on a sloped surface!!!!
 
#28 · (Edited)
These soul-purging confessions are great. Mine:

I was at Jack In the Box with the bike parked right outside the window where I could watch it. Table full of 4 young guys complimented the beautiful Candy Plasma Blue paint and started asking about the bike. Well I sold them on what a blast it was to own it etc etc etc... They were clearly envious.

Finished dining and wished the kids well, then went out and suavely climbed aboard with them watching through the window. Started off in a full-steering-stop tight turn to leave the parking spot, for some reason hit the front brake and down she went. I caught the bike just leaning on the crash bar but gave a good blast of whiskey throttle holding on as she went over. Hit the kill switch, got off, put butt to seat and pushed it back on its wheels, nearly dropped it again turning around to throw a leg over, started the bike and rode off, mortified and cussing myself. Old fart rides off into the sunset of embarrassment.

I'm sure my four young acolytes got a heck of a laugh out of it. I don't know; I never looked over there at them... :clown:
 
#30 ·
Alright I'll take a seat at the campfire, here's my story:
Bought an 06 classic in early Aug 2018, my first bike. Rode it for 10,000km with no issues. Took the bike to work one day, found a parking space, backed it in real nice and smooth, cut the wheel, started to hop off. Started thinking to myself "hmm this is weird. The bike is leaning an aweful lot". I didn't put the f-ing side stand down and the bike was past the point of no return. I'm 6'5" and in good shape so I was able to strain myself and gently put it down. Damage to the bike was minimal. A little scrape on the clutch lever and a scrape to the vulcan emblem on the gas tank but massive damage to my pride. I could feel my face burning lol. Lesson learned, let me tell ya that will never happen again.
Later took the gas tank emblem off to find a small round dent in the tank behind the emblem. I'm going to try the dry ice trick this spring to pop it back out.


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